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The Scotland sub-plot to this weekend's 1872 Cup decider
By PA
Franco Smith has challenged Glasgow to claim the 1872 Cup in style and ensure there is no repeat of last year’s bitter-sweet triumph.
Warriors claimed the silverware 12 months ago after defeating Edinburgh 36-29 on aggregate, but only after the disappointment of losing the second leg at Murrayfield 19-14.
Smith’s men hold a commanding 33-14 advantage from the first leg at Hampden this time, but – with United Rugby Championship points also at stake – the Glasgow head coach wants to make sure they are heading back home along the M8 with another win under their belts on Saturday.
“Look, we don’t want to lose, nobody wants to lose,” stressed Smith. “So play to win. Last year in Edinburgh, it took away a little bit of the joy of winning the cup in a way.
“So for us, there’s more to play for than just arriving and trying to win the game. We want to be the best version of ourselves.
“It’s another URC game. We’re facing a difficult opponent away from home. We always knew that the second leg was going to be challenging.
“Last year we found that out by losing in the last minutes. We obviously expect this game to be a tough one again, like any URC game should be.”
Glasgow led 33-0 going into the closing stages of last Sunday’s match but two late Edinburgh tries gave them a glimmer of hope for the second leg.
“The two tries that we gave away in the last five minutes of the game was unnecessary for the quality of the performance,” said Smith. “So we know now that they know what to do and how to get under our skin and how to get to the other side of the pitch.
“The work on for us this week was to be even better for a longer period.”
More than 36,000 tickets have been sold for the Murrayfield showdown and Smith is adamant that the 1872 Cup still means a lot to his club, who are the defending URC champions.
“It’s massive,” the South African said of the inter-city rivalry.
“They’re not only competing for the cup but they’re also competing against each other for Test match places.
“There’s so much to play for. The boys are excited about being part of this. I think the 1872 Cup adds to the URC, it adds to the rivalry, it adds to the entertainment value.
“The fact that the people are going to come from Glasgow and Edinburgh to make this a spectacular day is a compliment to this.
“The boys are very motivated and eager to play well and to make Scotland proud.”
Smith has made two changes to his starting XV, with Gregor Hiddleston replacing injured hooker Johnny Matthews and Jamie Dobie in for George Horne at scrum-half.
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Latest Comments
Let’s blame a Chief instead ! 😀
Cane didn’t start in Yokohama but 5 Crusader forwards did and got their tails kicked by the John Mitchell coached England forwards. Well done Hansen!
Go to commentsI don’t really share Johnson’s opinion. Nothing better than Tupaea and Lienert-Brown in NZ? It’s a good duo, and he wouldn’t look out of place, but I think we can do better. Tavatavanawai seems superior to Tupaea at 12. He’s a brute force, who makes few mistakes (which can still be criticized in Tupaea), formidable both with and without the ball in close contact. I can see him playing with Proctor. On paper, this combination would be very, very interesting, in the same philosophy as the iconic Nonu/C Smith duo.
Anyway, I remain convinced that in Razor’s mind, Jordie Barrett is indispensable at center, and he could quickly team up with Leicester Fainga’anuku. I’m betting on that in the near future.
However, a Tavatanawai/Proctor duo would be very interesting. Ennor also seems to be a good option instead of Proctor, who still hasn’t played this season. But Ennor has only played one match... he needs to be seen again and get some game time. There is a lot of talent in New Zealand in these two positions. The hardest part will be cutting players who could make a difference for many teams. The choices are going to be tough. If I had to make a bold bet, and unlike Johnson, I don’t see Tupaea being selected, and I imagine ALB could be in a tight spot against Proctor and Ennor if they are fit.
I imagine Jordie, Havili, Rieko, and Fainga'anuku with Tavatavanawai. Ennor or Proctor if Fainga'anuku is not selected in July. And ALB if Jordie is rested
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